UTM SE vs RetroPod
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
UTM SE
Experience classic computing by running old-school games and software. This emulator supports various display modes and processor architectures, allowing you to run pre-built systems or configure your own.
- Run classic software and games
- VGA and terminal modes
- Emulates x86, ARM, PPC, RISC-V
- Pre-built or custom machine configurations
- Built from QEMU
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UTM SE is a PC emulator that allows you to run classic software and old-school games. * Supports both VGA mode for graphics and terminal mode for text-only operating systems * Emulates x86, ARM, PPC, and RISC-V architectures * Run pre-built machines or create your own configuration from scratch * Built from QEMU, a powerful and widely used emulator
RetroPod
Experience the nostalgic feel of the iPod Classic with a virtual click wheel and modern streaming service integration. Control playback with intuitive gestures and customize wheel sensitivity for a personalized music experience.
- Virtual click wheel interface
- Wheel sensitivity adjustment
- Volume control via click wheel
- Spotify integration
- Apple Music integration
- Playlist and album access
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Classic Design, Modern Convenience: Feel the magic of the iPod Classic all over again. Swipe the virtual click wheel and enjoy a spot-on recreation of that iconic look and feel. Wheel Sensitivity Adjustment: Make it yours! Adjust the wheel’s responsiveness to match your style—light taps or fast spins, RetroPod moves with you. Volume Control with Click Wheel: Turn it up (or down) the old-school way. Control volume right from the click wheel for that true iPod touch. Best of Both Worlds: Your favourite streaming services, Spotify and Apple Music. Dive into your music libraries-favourite songs, playlists, albums and more; all spun together in the cozy iPod Classic vibe. Two streaming worlds, one iconic click wheel, total nostalgia. Elevate Your Music Experience: RetroPod isn’t just an app; it’s a time machine for your eyes & ears, combining the best of the past with the innovations of today. Take your music experience to new heights with the perfect blend of nostalgia and modern convenience—relive the past, stream the future. RetroPod is not affiliated with or endorsed by Apple Inc. or Spotify AB. Apple, iPod, and Apple Music are trademarks of Apple Inc. Spotify is a trademark of Spotify AB. All trademarks are the property of their respective owners and used for identification and compatibility purposes only.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: RetroPod at none against UTM SE's 3. UTM SE's advantage is ratings volume (565 vs 33) and update cadence (every 4 months vs every 12 months). On price, rating, review sentiment and ads there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. UTM SE sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. RetroPod asks for nothing beyond the download.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 3.8 for UTM SE against 3.7 for RetroPod. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: UTM SE has 565 ratings behind it against 33, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 55% of UTM SE's written reviews are positive against 59% of RetroPod's.
UTM SE ships an update every 4 months, RetroPod every 12 months. Both last shipped on November 3, 2026.
| Parameter | UTM SE | RetroPod |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.8 (565 ratings) — better | 3.7 (33 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 54.7% of reviews | 58.5% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 565 — better | 33 |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months — better | Every 12 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Vision Pro — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 — better | 16.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 1.6 GB | 10 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Turing Software, LLC | Yash Tak |
Customer experience
UTM SE
RetroPod
Bugs and requests
UTM SE
Reported bugs
3 issues- Inability to select .img files as floppy boot images
- Crashes when trying to leave a VM
- Crashes when adjusting virtual CD-ROM drive settings
Requested features
3 requests- Add support for JIT compilation to improve performance
- Improve Magic Keyboard support
- Allow exporting VMs to run on other platforms
RetroPod
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
UTM SE
- Transistor$0.99
- Chip$4.99
- Computer$9.99
RetroPod
No in-app purchases
